the weddiversary

This weekend, Yoni and I attended a “Weddiversary.” To make a long story short, a couple in the Jewish community was celebrating their 20^th anniversary and decided, since they had never had any kind of official wedding celebration, to combine an anniversary party with an – admittedly late – wedding ceremony.

Now, this would not necessarily be fodder for the blog, except for the fact that this is a mixed Jewish/Okinawan couple  who is very into the idea of creating their own rituals. As a result the Weddiversary (their term, not mine) was a strange and interesting blending of cultures and traditions.

There was a huppah.

The bride circled the groom seven times.

The ceremony was presided over by the couples’ two teenaged sons (ok, that’s not a tradition that belongs to either culture, but I though it was interesting – and adorable).

There was a sake tasting ceremony called San San Kudo.

Contemporary translations of the Sheva Brachot were recited.

After the glass was broken, there were both traditional Jewish and Okinawan dancing.

(There was even an old lady who did a dance with a sword!)

While the Weddiversary was a slightly strange experience, though, I’m not really writing about it for your collective amusement. Mostly, I respect what our friends tried to do with their ceremony/party (and how that is reflected in their everyday lives); they took elements from each of their cultures and brought them together the best way they know how. I think we all know that the decision to live a blended life is not always a smooth or uncomplicated one, but given that, and given how often I hear about differences tearing people apart, it’s sometimes nice to see an example of a family made stronger by their differences.

Plus – who doesn’t love a party?